Summary translation

Castration of male piglets is a standard procedure in most European countries in order to prevent boar taint. The castration is usually performed without analgesia or anaesthesia. However, there are increasing animal welfare concerns and castration of piglets without anaesthesia is likely to be banned in Europe. Therefore, alternatives to surgical castration without anaesthesia have to be found. An important factor for the evaluation of different alternatives is the consumer acceptance of these alternatives. This paper reviews consumer studies concerning the alternatives to castration without anaesthesia.